Description
Horizon Bright Moon Sabre was quite an interesting read. Fu Hongxue and a partner of sorts travel around, surviving assassinations as they work towards the figure at the end who seems …
Fu Hongxue was a cripple, born with a lame leg and subject to epileptic seizures. He was also one of the most powerful, legendary figures of the martial arts world, with a dull black saber that was second to none. His fame made him a frequent target of challengers, but whenever his saber left its sheath, only corpses would remain in its wake. One day, however, Fu Hongxue rescued someone whom he should have killed…and in doing so, set of a chain of events and a conspiracy that would rock the world.
This novel is part of the Flying Dagger Series. Following the story after Bordertown Wanderer and Flying Eagle in the Ninth Month. Interestingly, it was written by Gu Long in 1975 after Flying Eagle in the Ninth Month (1974) but before Bordertown Wanderer (1976). It seems that Gulong had first developed the two main characters Ye Kai and Fu Hongxue respectively before interweaving them together in Bordertown Wanderer.
Several had remarked that this is perhaps Gu Long’s greatest work as it is the most emotionally touching and unforgetable. Gulong said that he wrote this novel during the period of his greatest personal pain and suffering, during the period of his greatest emotional stress. Maybe it is for this reason, the novel is so outstanding.
Horizon Bright Moon Sabre
Prologue
Is the horizon far away?
Not at all!
Man is at the horizon, how can the horizon be far away?
What colour is the bright moon?
It is blue; and like the ocean, blue, deep and sorrowful.
Where is the bright moon?
It is in his heart; his heart is the bright moon.
What about his sabre?
His sabre is in his hand!
What kind of blade is that?
His sabre is as broad and as lonely as the horizon, as pure and sorrowful as the bright moon; even with a flash of steel, some times it is as if it is empty.
Empty?
Empty and illusional, as if it never exists, yet present everywhere.
But the speed of his sabre does not appear to be very swift.
How can a sabre that is not swift be invincible under the heavens?
This is because his sabre has gone beyond the limits of speed!
Where is he?
He has not returned, but his heart is already broken.
Where is the path of his return?
The path is right in front of him.
Cannot he see the path?
He is not looking for it.
So he cannot find the path?
Perhaps not now, but he will find it sooner or later.
Willl he find it for sure?
Definitely!
Chapter 01: Man at the horizon
ONE
The sun is setting in the west.
Fu Hongxue stood alone under the setting sun. It was as though he were the only person in the whole wide world.
It was cold and barren for a thousand miles around; it seemed that even the setting sun had changed colour because of its loneliness, changed into a greyish white that was mournful and desolate.
He felt the same.
His hand clenched a sabre; a pale white fist with a pitch black sabre!
Pale white and pitch black were colours close to Death! And Death was the limit of voidness and loneliness!
His eyes were lonely and empty; they could almost see death!
Could it be death was just in front of his eyes?
He was walking. He walked very slowly, but he never stopped. Even if Death was waiting for him in front, he would never stop.
His walking posture was strange and unique; the left foot would take a quick step forward, and the right foot would follow slowly. He appeared to walk with considerable difficulty. Nevertheless, he had walked countless of miles, made innumerable journeys; and he walked that entire road by himself, step by step.
When could he stop walking like this? When could he even stop walking?
He didn’t know. In fact, he had never considered it!
Now that he had got here, what lay beyond? Was Death really in front? Definitely! His eyes contained Death, his hand also gripped Death; in fact his sabre represented Death!
It was a pitch black blade with a pitch black handle and a pitch black sheath.
His sabre may represent Death, but it was his whole life!
The sky had become even darker, but still he could make out the presence of a small town in the far distance.
He knew that was Phoenix Settlement, one of the more populous towns in the remote area. Of course he knew, because that was where the death he was searching for was to be found.
Little did he know that Phoenix Settlement was already dead!
TWO
The street was not very long or very wide, but there were still numerous stores, stalls and houses along the streets.
There were countless such towns in the world, and every one of them was the same; streets with many stores, stalls and houses; and these stalls had dilapidated store fronts, cheap goods and honest merchants. In the houses lived kind and friendly people. However, Phoenix Settlement was different from these other towns. While the stores and the stalls and the houses were still present, there was nobody around.
Nobody, not a single person was around.
There were doors and windows that lined both sides of the street. Some were shut, but all were broken, smashed. Thick stacks of dust covered the streets, inside and outside the houses and stores. The roofs and beams were full of spider webs. A black cat was startled by the footsteps and leaped out, but it had already lost its alertness and agility. It was panting and limping as it crawled across the street; it did not even look like a cat anymore.
Wasn’t it a well known fact that starvation could change everything?
Could it be that the cat was the sole surviving creature in this little town?
Fu Hongxue’s heart turned cold, even colder than the blade in his hand.
He was presently standing on this street, and seeing everything with his own eyes. But he could not believe, dared not believe, and would not believe.
– What disaster befell this place?
– How did this tragedy occur?
At the side of the street, an old signboard was squeaking in the wind. He could still make out the words beneath all that dust “Chen Family Tavern, Best Vintage In Town!”
This was originally one of the nicer looking signboards in the district, but it was now tattered and broken, just like teeth of elderly people.
But the condition of the tavern was much worse than the signboard.
Fu Hongxue stood silently, observing and waiting. As the wind died down, he strolled over to the tavern and pushed open the door. It was as though he walked into a grave that had been exhumed.
He had been here before!
Though the wine was not even good, much less vintage, at least it wasn’t vinegar. And the place had looked far from a grave.
Exactly a year ago, this place was still a busy establishment. Travellers from all over who past through Phoenix Settlement would be attracted by the signboard outside, and stopped for a drink here.
Once wine entered empty stomachs, people became chatty. Hence, the tavern was always noisy. Noisy taverns attracted people.
The tavern was not very small, but it was always crowded. The owner of the tavern was very friendly, and a smile was always seen on his face.
But the smile had disappeared, clean tables had become table tops filled with dust; the ground was littered with broken wine bottles, the aromatic smell of wine had turned into a putrid odour which was vomit-inducing.
Laughter, chatter, wine swigging in the tavern; clanking of buckets and knifes, and oil boiling in woks behind the tavern; these sounds had all vanished. Only the creaking sounds of broken window panes swinging in wind were left; and they were oddly reminiscent to the flapping of bats’ wings in prisons.
The skies had darkened even further; it was almost pitch black.
Fu Hongxue walked slowly to a corner and sat down unhurriedly, with his back towards the door.
That was the corner he sat when he came here a year ago. But the place was presently like a grave; there was no place for any living person to hang about.
Why did he still choose to sit down? Was he reminiscing about the past? Or was he waiting?
If he was reminiscing, what could have happened that was worthy of his reminiscence?
If he was waiting, who or what was he waiting for?
Was it Death? Was it really Death?
THREE
The colour of night had finally wrapped her arms around all of the land.
There were no lamps, candles or fire; only darkness.
He hated the darkness. However, darkness was similar to death in that they were both inescapable.
Now that darkness had arrived, what about death? He sat there without moving, his hand still clenched tightly to his sabre. Perhaps you could still see the pale hand, but certainly not the sabre, for it had melted into the darkness.
Was his sabre as inescapable as death?
The night was as silent as death. Suddenly, the wind brought the melodious strains of string instrumental music.
Under such depressing circumstances, it was as though the music came from the heavens.
His empty eyes had a strange expression after hearing this heavenly music. – Many adjectives could be used to describe this expression, but joyfulness was not one of them.
The music steadily increased in volume. Amongst the raising music volume, the creaking of the wheels of a horse carriage could also be heard.
Who other than Fu Hongxue could be rushing to this God-forsaken place?
Fu Hongxue’s eyes were slowly returning to their original coldness, but the hand that was on his sabre clenched even tighter.
Could it be that he knew the person that was coming?
Could it be that he was waiting for this person?
Could it be that this person was Death himself?
What kind of music did heavenly music sound like? Nobody had ever heard how heavenly music sound like!
But if there existed a form of music which could melt one’s heart, and even one’s soul, this music would be as close to as heavenly music as it could be heard on earth. The music that Fu Hongxue was listening to would certainly qualify to be heavenly music.
But Fu Hongxue did not melt.
He sat there listening, but remained still and silent. All of a sudden, eight men dressed in black coats with colourful silk sashes tied to their waists walked into the tavern in quick steps. All of them were carrying bamboo baskets; these baskets contained peculiar items, including cloth rags and brooms.
None of them stopped to give Fu Hongxue a glance. Once in the tavern, they began to clean and tidy up the tavern. All of them worked briskly.
Not only did they work briskly, they were also worked very efficiently.
The dilapidated tavern had a miraculous make over in a very short period of time.
Every nook and cranny was cleaned up until not a speck of dust remained. Wallpaper was put up, and beads hung in front of the door frames. There were table cloths on all tables, and even a red carpet on the floor. Only the corner that Fu Hongxue was sitting at remained untouched.
Once the eight men were done cleaning up, they stood in attention near the tavern entrance. Four women who were dressed in bright colours walked into the tavern, holding bamboo baskets. They placed fresh flowers, food and wine on a table.
A row of string ensemble players strolled in, playing beautiful music.
A single drum beat could be heard amongst the music. It was already mid-night. From the window, a solitary figure could be seen dressed in white, holding a watchman’s drum. He looked like a spirit standing alone in the darkness.
Where did this night watchman come from?
Was he constantly reminding people of the coming of death?
Who was he reminding this time?
After the reverberation of the watchman drum ended, the song began:
“The road to the horizon,
A path of no return,
Man broke his soul at the horizon ,
But the soul was broken before reaching the horizon……”
The song had not yet ended, but a seemingly drunk Yan Nanfei was already walking into the tavern.
Chapter 2: Wild rose at the Horizon
ONE
“The flowers have not yet wilted;
the moon has not yet waned,
so where doth the moon shine?
Wild roses are at the horizon.”
Was Yan Nanfei truly drunk?
He sat down beside the fresh flowers, in between beautiful women, in front of a golden cup of wine.
The wine was amber, and the roses were bright.
The scent of the roses in his hand were intoxicating, but they were nothing compared to the wine.
He was totally inebriated, and collapsed on the laps and knees of the beautiful women that were sitting next to him.
Beautiful women were also intoxicating; they giggled like orioles, and their cheerful faces turned into beautiful shades of pink.
He was still a youth; a youth with youthful exuberance. He had plenty of gold, he had perfumed flowers, fine wine and beautiful women. What a happy time it is, what a happy life.
But why did he come to this dead town to enjoy all these pleasures?
Was he here because of Fu Hongxue?
He did not even give Fu Hongxue a glance, as though he did not realise Fu Hongxue’s existence.
Fu Hongxue too behaved in the same way, as though others did not exist. Around him, there were no flowers, women, nor wine; it was as though an invisible wall separated him and the other merry makers.
He had not taken part in such merry-making activities for a very long time.
The watchman’s drum was struck once again. It was now the second watch.
They were still drinking and making merry. They seemed to have totally forgotten all the frustrations, sorrow and pain in the world.
He was stilling holding a cup full of wine in one hand, and a stalk of wild rose on the other. A beautiful woman tugged at his hand and asked, “Why do you like the wild rose?”
“Wild roses have thorns.”
“You like thorns?”
“I like to pierce people. Pierce their hands and pierce their heart.”
The beautiful woman’s hand was pierced, her heart was also pierced.
She grimaced in pain, frowned and shook her head, “That is not a good reason, I don’t like it.”
“You don’t like it? What would you have liked to hear then?”
Yan Nanfei laughed. “Do you want to listen to another story?”
“Of course I do.”
“Once upon a time, in a place far far away, a nightingale saw a wild rose in bloom and fell in love with it. The bird was so much in love, it leaped from the branch into the pond and drowned.”
“That story is beautiful,” the beautiful woman’s eyes had turned red, “but it is too sad.”
“You are wrong.” Yan Nanfei’s smile had become even wider, “Death is not something sorrowful. If there was pride in death, or even beauty in death, then there is nothing to fear.”
The beautiful woman stared at the wild rose that was in his hand. The wild rose appeared to be smiling too.
She stared at the rose intently for a while, and whispered,
“This morning, I wanted to give you a few stalks of wild roses.
I spent a lot of time tying the flowers to my girdle.
But the girdle loosened and even the flowers were loosened too.
They fell and scattered, some to the winds and others into the water.
The river waters flowed eastward, and the flower petals too, never to return.
River waves had become crimson red with petals, but only a light fragrance remains on my sleeve.”
Her poem was beautiful, just like a song.
She lifted her sleeves, “Please smell them. I insist you smell them, as our final rememberance.”
Yan Nanfei looked at her sleeves and held her hand lightly.
Just at this moment, the night watchman’s drum reverberated once more.
It was the third watch!
TWO
“The road to the horizon,
A path of no return,
In the third watch past midnight,
Time for the destruction of Man’s soul.”
Yan Nanfei suddenly released the her hands.
The music stopped abruptly.
He waved his hand and gave a short command, “Leave”.
It was like a magic spell. The ghostly night watchman had just struck his drum for the third watch. Immediately the command was issued and immediately the previously joyful atmosphere disappeared.
The tavern had become bare, and only two people remained.
Even the beautiful woman whose hand pricked by the wild rose left. Her hand was hurt but her heart was hurt far more deeply.
The horse carriage left, and the lands returned to their original state of deathlike loneliness.
Only one lamp remained indoors, and the weak light flickered at Yan Nanfei’s bright eyes.
He appeared to be drunk, but his eyes were far from drunk.
Fu Hongxue was still sitting quietly at his corner.
Not listening, not seeing, nor moving.
But Yan Nanfei was now standing up and in so revealed the sword on his waist.
Bright red scabbard; bright red hilt!
More red than the wild rose; more red than blood.
The tavern was filled with happiness a short while ago, was suddenly filled with an air of murderous intent.
He walked forward, towards Fu Hongxue.
He may be drunk, but his sword was certainly not intoxicated.
His sword was already in his hand.
A pale white hand clenched to a blood red sword.
Fu Hongxue’s hand was also clenched to his sabre
– His sabre never left his hand, no matter what happened.
A pale white hand clenched to a pitch black sabre!
The sabre was as black as death, and the scabbard was as red as blood.
The distance between these weapons was slowly diminishing.
The distance between Fu Hongxue and Yan Nanfei was slowly diminishing.
The murderous air thickened even further.
Yan Nanfei was finally standing in front of Fu Hongxue. Suddenly he pulled his sword out; the light reflected from the blade of the sword was as radiant as the sun’s rays, yet as beautiful as the wild roses under sunlight.
The sword emitted a powerful aura, right between Fu Hongxue’s eyebrows.
Fu Hongxue was still not listening, not seeing, nor moving!
Light rays from the sword flashed passed him. The beaded door curtain that was hanging on the door frame nearby was severed into two; the beads fell from the curtain like tear drops from a beautiful woman.
Then the sword rays disappeared suddenly.
The sword was still there, still in Yan Nanfei’s hand. He raised his sword with two hands, and presented it to Fu Hongxue.
The sharpness of the sword was unparalleled under the heavens!
The sword technique that he used was also unparalleled under the heavens!
Why was he presenting such a sword to Fu Hongxue?
He came from afar, made merry and drank.
He pulled out his sword, swung it, and presented it as a gift.
What was really happening?
THREE
His hands were pale, and the blade of his sword also appeared to be pale under the dim light from a lamp.
Fu Hongxue’s face was even paler.
He finally raised his head slowly, and gazed at the sword in Yan Nanfei’s hands.
He shown no expression, but the pupils of his eyes narrowed.
Yan Nanfei was also gazing at him; bright eyed, carrying a strange expression. Was it an expression of a person that was close to the ultimate release of joy, or one of unspeakable and helpless sorrow?
Fun Hongxue raised his head further and stared into Yan Nanfei’s eyes. It was as though he had just noticed Yan Nanfei.
Two pairs of eyes established contact. There was a flash of some sort, a spark; as though there was silent communication between them.
“You are here,” said Fu Hongxue, unexpectedly.
“I am here,” Yan Nanfei replied.
Fu Hongxue said, “I knew you would come.”
Yan Nanfei replied, “I would come for sure, and you knew that. If not, you would not have let me go a year ago.”
Fu Hongxue looked grave, and gazed long and hard at the sword that in Yan Nanfei’s hand before slowly said,
“Now a year has passed.”
Yan Nanfei said, “Exactly one full year.”
Fu Hongxue sighed, “What a long year that was.”
Yan Nanfei also sighed, “What a short year that was.”
Was the span of a year truly long or short?
Yan Nanfei gave a short burst of laughter; his laughter was laced with sarcasm, “You felt that the year had passed slowly only because you were waiting. You have been waiting for today to come.”
“What about you?” Fu Hongxue asked.
“I didn’t wait at all,” Yan Nanfei answered.
He gave a faint smile and continued, “Although I knew that today would be the day I die, but I am not the sort of person to wait for death.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “Was it because you had so many things to settle that you found the year to be too short?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “The year was certainly too short.”
Fun Hongxue asked, “Have you completed everything that you wanted to finish? Your desires and wishes?”
The sword rays were illumining; the thin blade of the sword flashed like lightning.
The sabre seemed slower in comparison.
The sword rays had not arrived, but the sabre was already forcing the sword back.
Then the sabre was at Yan Nanfei’s throat.
It was Fu Hongxue’s sabre at Yan Nanfei’s throat.
The sabre was in Fu Hongxue’s hand, and that hand was now back on the table.
Yan Nanfei stared at this pitch black sabre for a long time, and said slowly,
“A year ago, I was defeated by your sabre.”
Fu Hongxue lightly, “Perhaps you should not have lost. You were too young, but yet your swordplay was too worn.”
Yan Nanfei was slient as if in deep consideration of Fu Hongxue’s words. After a long while, he said unhurriedly, “You asked me then, if I had any unfulfilled wishes left.”
Fu Hongxue nodded, “I had asked you that!”
Yan Nanfei continued, “I replied then, that though I had unfinished business, that business was my own and only mine to do.”
Fu Hongxue answered, “I remember.”
“I told you then, that you could kill me anytime, but you could forget about forcing me to reveal anything if I was unwilling to do so.” Yan Nanfei said.
Fu Hongxue nodded. “And now…?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “Now is still the same!”
Fu Hongxue asked, “Still the same unwillingness to talk?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “You loaned me a year’s time, to let me finish my business. Now had a year has passed, I…”
“came back here to die!” Fu Hongxue said.
Yan Nanfei nodded. “That is correct. I came back here to die!”
He held his sword, and spoke each word with care, “You can kill me now.”
He had came here to die!
He was originally from *Jiangnan. He rushed through thousands of li, just to get to Phoenix Settlement, just in time to die!
* (Jiangnan, literally South of the River, refers to regions south of the Yangzi River, also known as the Chang Jiang.)
//li is an unit of distance used in ancient times.
He drank his fill of wine from gold wine cups and made merry; but all these were merely forms of pre-death entertainment.
How beautiful and stately was this kind of death.
The sword was still in his hand; the sabre was still on the table.
“At this very time and place a year ago, I could have killed you.” Fu Hongxue said.
Yan Nanfei said, “You let me go a year ago, was it because you were sure I would return?”
“If you did not, I would probably never have found you.” Fu Hongxue answered.
“Very possibly” Yan Nanfei agreed.
“But you came” Fu Hongxue said.
“I would have come no matter what,” Yan Nanfei replied.
“Because of this, I can give you one more year for you to complete your unfinished business.” Fu Hongxue said.
“No need” Yan Nanfei answered.
“No need?” Fu Hongxue questioned.
“Since I’m here, I am already mentally prepared to die.” Yan Nanfei said.
“You don’t want to live for one more year?” Fu Hongxue asked.
Yan Nanfei suddenly gave a long guffaw, “If a true man lives in the world, but could not help the weak and destroy evil; avenge wrongs and repay kindness. He would be no better than being dead, even if he lived another hundreds of years.”
He was laughing, yet in his laughter carried an indescribable pain and anguish.
Fun Hongxue looked at him intently, waited for his laughter to die before abruptly said, “But you still have unfulfilled wishes.”
“Who said that?” Yan Nanfei retorted.
“I did. I can tell.” Fu Hongxue answered.
Yan Nanfei gave a cold laugh, “Even if I have some unfulfilled wishes, it is none of your business.”
Fu Hongxue said, “But I am…”
Yan Nanfei interrupted him, “You had never been a man of many words, and I didn’t come here to talk to you!”
“You only wish for a quick death?” Fu Hongxue asked.
“Yes.” The answer was short and swift.
“You would rather die than to reveal your unfulfilled wishes?” Fu Hongxue asked.
“Yes,” Yan Nanfei said definitely.
The “YES” came out strong and decisive. Nothing in this world could change his mind.
The hand that Fu Hongxue was holding the sabre with had veins popping out of the arm.
Once the sabre left its sheath, death would follow. Nothing in the world could stop it.
Was his sabre getting ready to leave its sheath?
Yan Nanfei presented his sword to Fu Hongxue with both hands, “I would rather die by my own sword.”
“I know!” Fu Hongxue answered.
“But you are using your sabre anyway?” Yan Nanfei asked.
“You have some things that you refuse to do. So do I.” Fu Hongxue answered.
Yan Nanfei was silent, then spoke slowly, “After I die, would you take good care of my sword?”
Fu Hongxue said coldly, “If the sword is alive, the person is alive. If the person perishes, so will the sword. When you die, your sword will join you in your destruction.”
Yan Nanfei gave a deep breath out and closed his eyes. “All right, strike me down now!”
Fu Hongxue’s sabre had already left its sheath, but it had not found its mark yet. There was a deafening rattling noise, like that of a giant wheel rolling on the ground. Then, a loud explosion sounded.
The already rotting tavern door was blown apart by this explosion, and something rolled in. It was large and shiny golden sphere; the sphere was the size of the wheels on a wagon.
FOUR
Fu Hongxue did not move, and neither did Yan Nanfei turn his head.
The golden sphere was rolling towards Yan Nanfei, and was about to run him over.
No man can withstand the force of such a collision. That force was not one that mere flesh and blood can stop.
Just at this very moment, Fu Hongxue drawn his sabre!
The sabre flashed, and stopped moving.
All motion and noise stopped too.
The seemingly unstoppable golden sphere stopped after being tapped lightly with his sabre.
At the same moment, thirteen spears flew out of the golden sphere, straight towards Yan Nanfei’s back.
Yan Nanfei still did not move, and Fu Hongxue’s sabre moved again.
Light from the sabre flashed, and the spearheads all broke and fell. The golden sphere looked as though it weighed a ton, but it had been cut into four quarters by the sabre.
The sphere was actually hollow, and the four quarters opened like those of flower petals. A small, dwarfish man was sitting on the floor amongst the four pieces of what remained of the sphere. He sat there without moving.
That sabre lopped off thirteen spear heads and hacked the golden sphere to four quarters with one slash; the speed and force of this slash was incredible and unimaginable. It was as though all the magic and energy in this world united to generate this sabre slash.
The sabre technique that was used was beyond all other sabre techniques; it was enough to destroy everything.
However, even with the destruction of the spear heads and the golden sphere, that short man was still perfectly fine and sitting on the floor. Not only was he motionless, he had no expression on his face. It was as though he was a man made of wood.
The windows and door were wrecked by the impact; some roof tiles were loosened and fell. They landed on this wooden man; the sound of ceramic tiles crashing against wood was produced.
It turned out that the man was really made of wood.
Fu Hongxue looked at him coldly. Since he didn’t move, Fu Hongxue also didn’t move.
How could a wooden man move about anyway?
Unexpectedly, this one did.
He moved quickly and suddenly rocketed towards Yan Nanfei’s back.
He had no weapons.
He used his own person as a weapon, his entire body, his four limbs were all weapons.
Even the most menacing weapons required a person to handle them, because weapons themselves were not alive.
However, this weapon was totally alive!
Also at that very moment, a pair of hands came up from the ground and grabbed hold of Yan Nanfei’s legs.
This move was also totally unexpected.
Now even if Yan Nanfei had wanted to avoid the attack, he would not have been able to.
This attack was very well coordinated; the sudden movement of the Wood Man; the hands from the ground; attacking from both top and bottom. Wood Man’s legs had also wrapped around Yan Nanfei’s waist, both his hands already flying at the throat in top speed!
This attack was not only totally out of ordinary, but also carefully planned. It was a strike that would not have failed to hit the target.
It is a pity that they forgot that Yan Nanfei had a sabre close to him!
Fu Hongxue’s sabre!
A sabre totally unmatched under the heavens!
The sabre flashed! Just a single flash!
There were open wounds on all four hands, Wood Man’s hand was bleeding originally.
The blood oozing out from the new wounds was just as red. But his deadwood face had grimaced.
The hands loosen, all four hands. A man totally covered with soil leaped out from the ground. He looked like a man made of mud.
Mud Man was also a dwarf.
Both of them leaped up, made a turn in the air, and each withdrawing to a corner.
No one chased after them.
Fu Hongxue’s sabre was motionless, as he was. Yan Nanfei didn’t even turn his head.
Mud Man held his hands up, suddenly turned and said, “This is all your fault. You said that nothing could go wrong with our plan of attack.”
Wood Man replied, “Now that we have failed, we have best kill ourselves now. Returning with failure would mean death anyway.”
“How do you wish to die?” asked Mud Man.
“I am a wooden man, certainly the best way to die is to go up in flames,” Wood Man said.
“All right then, you better burn yourself to ashes.” Mud Man told him.
Wood Man gave a small sigh, and really set fire to his clothes up with a fire starter.
The fire burned very quickly. In a very short while, Wood Man was totally in flames.
Mud Man stood afar to avoid the heat. Suddenly he exclaimed, “Hold on, you cannot die yet; you still have a few thousand taels of silver in paper money. They are of no use to anybody if they are burnt into ashes.”
A voice actually came out from the flames, “Come and get it yourself.”
Mud Man said, “I am afraid of the heat.”
A loud sigh came from within the flames and suddenly a jet of clear water sprouted up vertically within the flames. Falling onto the flaming mass like rain, creating a fog of mist.
The fire was doused immediately, and creating a lot of think smoke.
Wood Man remained in the smoke, nobody could see how badly Wood Man was burnt.
Fu Hongxue did not even glance at him, he was only concerned about one person.
Yan Nanfei, however looked as though he would not concern himself with anyone ever again.
The smoke was everywhere in the tavern. The smoke floated out though the door windows.
There was a small breeze outside.
The smoke floated out and disappeared into the winds.
That little black cat that was crossing the street earlier had been hiding behind a pillar some distance away.
A small wisp of smoke was blown towards the direction of this cat. It stiffened and collapsed; its leg muscles were still twitching.
Although it had been through the horrors of the destruction and starvation, it was still alive. But, this small wisp of smoke turned it into a bag of rotton bones within the twinkle of an eye.
At this moment, Fu Hongxue and Yan Nanfei were standing right in the smoke.
Chapter 03: Bright Moon at High Mansion
ONE
Thick smoke slowly dispersed.
This is a life seizing smoke. There were simply too many renowned heroes who had fallen suddenly and noiselessly to this thick smoke.
As the smoke was dispersing, Wood Man’s eyes were shining with elation. He was certain that his opponents had fallen.
In fact, he hoped to see them on the ground, still struggling to the last. He hoped that they would crawled in front of him and begged for the antidote.
Even Shi *Batian and *Tong Hu had kneeled in front him before, and begged piteously for the antidote.
*(‘Batian’ and ‘Tong Hu’ directly translates as ‘Overpowering the Skies’ and ‘Bronze Tiger’ respectively. These names suggest that these two people were very fearsome.)
They were the most terrifying strongmen in the *Jianghu; but when facing death, even the bravest would become cowardly.
*(Jianghu literally translates as ‘rivers, lakes’. This term describes a world/society that the pugilistic fraternity (more commonly known as wuxia people) lived in. This world/society had its own laws and moral code which was often very different, even antagonistic, from the laws that were imposed to the rest of the society by the Imperial Court. )
To him, the suffering and hopelessness of other people were a source of pleasure and gratification.
But this time, he was disappointed.
Fu Hongxue and Yan Nanfei did not fall. In fact, their eyes were still shining.
The light in Wood Man’s eyes was extinguished, just like the flames on his torso. His clothes were burnt to ashes and were scattered into the winds along with the thick smoke. Only a person with soot blackened skin was left. It looked like cast iron that was inflammable, yet like burnt charcoal too.
Yan Nanfei suddenly spoke, “These two people are the Double Killers of the Five Elements.”
Fu Hongxue gave a “humph” in reply.
[Wood hidding within Metal, Water and Fire coming from the same source], [Hidden movement in borrowed Earth, Ghost hands grabbing legs], normally these assassination moves that were practically impossible to defend against. Double Killers of the Five Elements were one of a few professional assassins who commanded the highest price. It was rumoured that they were already men of huge fortunes, if not millionaires.
Unfortunately, in this world no matter how many times a millionare you were, to some people you were essentially worthless.
Mud Man laughed uneasily, and spoke first, “He is Metal-Wood-Water-Fire, and I am Earth. I am nothing really, a stupid donkey, a useless potato and a worthless dog.”
He was looking very intently at the sabre in Fu Hongxue’s hand.
The sabre was already back in its sheath. A pitch black hilt and a pitch black sheath.
Mud Man sighed, and laughed bitterly, “Even if we did not recognise Hero Fu, we would have recognised this sabre.”
Wood Man said, “But we could not imagine that Hero Fu would save him.”
Fu Hongxue retorted coldly, “This life is already mine.”
Wood Man answered, “Yes”
Fu Hongxue:“Apart from me, no one else can touch a strand of his hair.”
Wood Man, “Yes, yes”
Mud Man pleaded, “If Hero Fu promises to spare my life, I would immediately *scram somewhere far far away.”
Fu Hongxue said, “*Scram.”
*(The term that was actually used was “Roll”, as the verb “roll” could mean two things; to roll, or to scram off.)
His words were barely out of his mouth when Wood Man and Mud Man scrammed off. In fact, they actually rolled out like two balls.
Yan Nanfei suddenly laughed, and said, “I knew you definitely would not kill them,”
“Oh?” Fu Hongxue replied.
Yan Nanfei explained, “because they are not worthy enough.”
Fu Hongxue looked intently at the sabre that was in this hand, but there was an unspeakable sense of loneliness in his expression.
He never had many friends to begin with. Now even his remaining enemies were dwindling in number.
Under the heavens, how many people were still worthy of his sabre?
Fun Hongxue said slowly, “I heard that their price for killing Shi Batian was three hundred thousand taels.”
Yan Nanfei replied, “Absolutely correct.”
Fu Hongxue said, “Your life is obviously worth more than Shi Batian’s.”
Yan Nanfei said, “Far more.”
Fu Hongxue said, “Not many people can afford their price for you.”
Yan Nanfei shut his mouth.
Fu Hongxue said, “I didn’t ask as you had known that person’s identify long ago.”
Yan Nanfei’s mouth was still shut tight. Silence without words.
Fu Hongxue continued, “Your unfulfilled wishes was to deal with this person?”
Without warning, Yan Nanfei laughed coldly, “You had already asked too much!”
Fu Hongxue, “You are not willing to say?”
Yan Nanfei, “Not willing.”
Fu Hongxue, “Then, you go!”
Yan Nanfei, “I am even more unwilling to go!”
Fu Hongxue, “Don’t forget that I had already loaned you a year. What you still own me was the span of a year.”
Yan Nanfei, “You want me to repay it? In what way?”
Fu Hongxue, “By clearing up your unfinished business.”
Yan Nanfei, “But, I….”
Fu Hongxue lifted his head slowly and looked hard at him, “If you are a true man, even when facing death, you would want to die with integrity.”
He had lifted his head up high, but Yan Nanfei followed his head, as if unwilling to let him see the expressions on his face.
Nobody could explain what was that expression. – Was it sadness? Pain? or Fear?
Fu Hongxue said, “Your sword is still alive, your body still alive. Why did you have no courage to face him?”
Yan Nanfei lifted his head up, held his sword tightly in his hand, “Fine, I would go. After a year, I would certainly return.”
Fu Hongxue said, “I know!”
There was still wine on the table.
Yan Nanfei suddenly turned around to grab the wine bottle, “You still do not drink?”
Fu Hongxue said, “I don’t drink!”
Yan Nanfei looked at him, “People who don’t drink, are they always sober?”
Fu Hongxue replied, “Not necessarily.”
Yan Nanfei tilted his head backwards, guffawed loudly and drank half the bottle of wine in one gulp. Then he walked out of the tavern in large strides.
He walked very fast.
Because he knew the road ahead was not only difficult, but also very long. So long that it was mind-boggling.
TWO
Dead town. Deserted street. Lonely world. Lonely bright moon too.
Tonight was a night of a full moon.
The moon was full, but the heart was already empty.
Yan Nanfei walked under the moon light. He was walking in large strides, walking very fast.
But Fu Hongxue kept following behind him. No matter how fast he walked. The moment he turned around, he would immediately see the lonely cripple, using that clumsy looking and strange posture, slowly shuffling behind.
The stars were dispersing, the moon was dimming and the night was almost over. He was still following, still keeping the same distance behind.
Finally, Yan Nanfei could take it no more. He turned around and yelled loudly, “Are you my shadow?”
Fu Hongxue said, “No.”
“Then why do you kept following me?” Yan Nanfei questioned.
Fu Hongxue answered, “I am not willing to allow you to die in someone else’s hands.”
Yan Nanfei gave a cold laugh, “I don’t need you to worry for me. I have always been able to take care of myself.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “Can you really?”
He did not let Yan Nanfei but immediately continued, “Only the a truly emotionless person can take care of themselves. You feel too much.”
Yan Nanfei asked, “What about you?”
Fu Hongxue said grimly, “I may used to have feelings, but I had forgotten them. Long forgotten them.”
His pale face was without emotion. Who could have noticed that behind this cold, grim mask hid deep, heart wrenching pain? Who could have seen those painful memories?
If a person’s heart was truly dead, feelings totally extinguished, no one in the world could hurt him.
Yan Nanfei gazed hard at him and unhurriedly said, “You are wrong if you think you can take care of yourself. “
“Oh?” Fu Hongxue replied.
Yan Nanfei said, “There’s one more person in this world that can hurt you.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “Who?”
“Yourself,” Yan Nanfei answered.
The day broke, and the sun rose.
The sun had already illuminated the dark, gloomy and cold Earth. And also the three words on a stone plaque at the side of the road: “Phoenix Settlement”.
//Yes, I can count up to three. Three words were used for the two in chinese: “凤凰集”.
Only this stone plaque, and these three words, remained the same as they had been a year ago.
Fu Hongxue was not a man who shown his sadness easily. But when he walked past this plaque, he could not help but turned and looked at it again.
The lands were broad as the seas were wide. Changes that happened in this world were often large. But the change that occurred here was undoubtedly too fast, so fast that it was unnatural.
Yan Nanfei could guessed Fu Hongxue’s feelings, and asked suddenly, “You didn’t expect this at all?”
Fu Hongxue nodded his head slowly, and said, “No, I didn’t, but you already knew.”
Yan Nanfei said, “Oh?”
Fu Hongxue answered, “You already knew that this town was dead, that was why you brought your wine and your music with you.
Yan Nanfei did not deny this.
Fu Hongxue said, “You obviously know why this town ended up in such a sorry state too. “
Yan Nanfei answered, “Of course I know.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “Why?”
Yan Nanfei’s eyes suddenly showed a mixture of pain and anger. After a long time, he muttered, “Because of me.”
Fu Hongxue said, “Because of you? How did you turn the entire bustling town to transform into a grave?”
Yan Nanfei clamped his mouth shut.
The lines of his mouth were thin and cold; in fact, they were almost cruel.
So the moment he closed his mouth, anybody could see that he would no longer discuss the matter any further.
So Fu Hongxue closed his mouth too.
But their eyes were not closed. They both saw a stallion approaching towards them from the side road. Galloping, galloping at a high speed.
The stallion was a thoroughbred, and the rider’s skills was superb. By the time they saw the horse, both the rider and his horse were already in front of them.
Yan Nanfei suddenly shot out like an arrow, and did a flip midair as he leaped over the stallion’s head. He was already pulling on the reins of the stallion when his feet touched the ground again.
He stood there like a nail driven into the ground; with just one hand, he managed to rein in a galloping horse.
The stallion was startled, and reared up.
The rider was so angry; he cracked his whip and lashed it in the direction of Yan Nanfei’s head.
Suddenly he found himself sprawled on the ground; his perspiration-drenched face was already pale and tense with fear and terror. He stared at Yan Nanfei, stupefied.
Yan Nanfei was smiling. “Why are you such in a terrible hurry to get to your destination?” he asked.
The rider was trying to keep his temper. He had to, after witnessing Yan Nanfei’s skill. He felt that he had to answer Yan Nanfei’s question. “I am rushing to get to a funeral wake.”
“A relative of yours died?” Yan Nanfei asked.
The rider answered, “Yes, my second uncle.”
“By hurrying there, will you be able to save your uncle?”
It was a rhetorical question, for who could raise the dead?
“Nothing changes anyway, why travel in such haste?” Yan Nanfei asked.
The rider was confused, and asked, “What exactly do you want from me?”
Yan Nanfei said, “I want to buy your horse.”
The rider answered, “The horse is not for sale.”
Yan Nanfei reached into his pocket casually, took out a bundle of gold leaves and threw it in front of the rider. “Is this enough?”
The rider was shocked by Yan Nanfei’s gesture. He stared blankly at the bundle of gold leaves. He finally gave a long sigh, and said, “A dead man cannot come back to life. Why do I need to rush to get there?”
Yan Nanfei laughed. As he was stroking the mane of the stallion, he smiled at Fu Hongxue, and said, “I know I can’t get away from you, but now I have six legs.”
Fu Hongxue was speechless.
Yan Nanfei guffawed, and waved good bye, “So long! I’ll see you in a year’s time!”
He was about to jump onto the intricately designed saddle that was on this beautiful thoroughbred. Suddenly, there was a flash of sabre light.
Fu Hongxue had already pulled out his sabre.
The sabre flashed with light, and returned to its sheath.
The horse was not startled, and nobody present was injured in anyway. This flash of sabre light looked like shooting stars in the sky; shooting stars that gave people beauty and hope, not fear and horror.
But Yan Nanfei was shocked. He looked at the sabre in Fu Hongxue’s hand. “I know you very seldom drawn your sabre.”
Fu Hongxue grunted an agreement.
Yan Nanfei said, “Your sabre was not meant for viewing pleasure.”
Fu Hongxue grunted once again.
“Then why did you pull your sabre out for no reason whatsoever?” Yan Nanfei asked.
Fu Hongxue answered, “Because of your legs.”
Yan Nanfei did not understand, “My legs?”
Fu Hongxue continued, “You don’t have six legs. In fact, the moment you mount this horse, you won’t have even one leg.”
Yan Nanfei tensed, and turned back to look at the horse. He saw blood!
Crimson red blood was flowing out. The blood did not flow out from anybody, nor the horse.
The blood was flowing out from the saddle of the horse.
The horse rider, who had been sitting on the ground all this time, suddenly jumped to his feet and sprinted away, as quickly as a flying arrow.
Fu Hongxue did not stop him, neither did Yan Nanfei; they did not even glance at the rider.
Both their eyes were glued to the horse saddle. Yan Nanfei cautiously used two fingers to lift the saddle. – Only one half of the saddle.
This intricately designed saddle had been severed into 2 halves by the flash of sabre light.
How could the horse saddle bleed?
It couldn’t, obviously.
The blood was cool, and was flowing out from snakes. The snakes were in the horse saddle.
There were four poisonous snakes, and they were too cleaved into two by the flash of sabre light.
If a person sat on this horse saddle, that had holes for snakes to crawl out, whose seals had been removed, and if the four venomous snakes had crawled out and bit the legs of this person…
Would this person still have legs?
Yan Nanfei broke out in cold sweat at the very thought of this horrifying scenario.
He was still perspiring, when he heard a wretched cry. This cry was so chilling, he felt as though a sword was being stabbed into his chest.
The escaping rider had used his lightness skill, the [Swallow Pecking Water Trice], to escape, and was already about seven to eight feet away.
He suddenly gave a cry of horror, and collapsed.
That flash of sabre light earlier not only severed the saddle and cleaved the snakes, it injured the rider’s heart, spleen and liver.
He collapsed onto the ground, and was writhing like snakes.
No one turned around and looked at him.
Yan Nanfei slowly released the severed horse saddle, raised his head, and gazed intently at Fu Hongxue.
Fu Hongxue’s hand was on the hilt of his sabre, and his sabre was in its sheath.
Yan Nanfei contemplated silently for a while, and suddenly sighed. “I regret very much that I was born too late, and never had the opportunity to see this.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “You have never seen Ye Kai’s sabre?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “I regret that I never had the fortune. I…”
Fu Hongxue interrupted him, “You may not have had the fortune, but you are nevertheless also lucky. There were people who had seen his sabre in the past..”
Yan Nanfei asked, “They had all died?”
Fun Hongxue answered, “Even if their bodies are still alive, their hearts were already dead.”
Yan Nanfei said, “Their hearts had died?”
Fu Hongxue said, “All who had seen him use his sabre, dared not use a sabre for the rest of their lives, without exceptions.”
Yan Nanfei said, “But his sabre is really just a flying knife.”
Fu Hongxue replied, “A flying knife is too, a knife.”
//The sabre and the knife shared the same chinese character 刀 and thus the awkwardness in translation here. Keep that in mind in the following passage.
Yan Nanfei agreed, could only agree.
There were all sorts of knifes and sabres. Every single type of sabre and knife can be used to kill.
Fu Hongxue asked, “Have you ever used a sabre?”
Yan Nanfei replied, “Never.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “How many people have you seen, who do actually know how to use sabres properly”
Yan Nanfei answered, “Not too many.”
Fu Hongxue said, “Then you have no business to be talking about knifes and sabres.”
Yan Nanfei laughed, and said, “Perhaps I really do not have any business to be talking about knifes and sabres; perhaps your sabre technique isn’t unmatched under the heavens. These, I am not too sure. But I am sure about one thing.”
Fu Hongxue said, “And what is that?”
Yan Nanfei said, “Now I have six legs again, but you only have two.”
He gave a loud gaffaw again, and leaped onto the horse.
The horse saddle may be severed, and the snakes may be slashed, but the horse was still very much alive and alert.
The horse ran like the wind, and left behind a swirl of fine dust.
Fu Hongxue looked down at his feet; his eyes had the indescribable look of self ridicule, and whispered to himself, “You are wrong. I don’t have two legs; I only have one.”
THREE
There were wine tavern in every town; and every wine tavern with long histories had something that was special or unique.
The “Ten Thousand Longevity” tavern was unique in one way, and that was the exorbitant prices that it charged. Everything that was served, food or wine, were at least double the price of other taverns.
Man has many weakness. Spending tons of money for the sake of appearance was surely one of them.
This was why places that charged ridiculous prices also had ridiculously good business.
When Yan Nanfei walked out of the “Ten Thousand Longevity” tavern and looked at the horse tied outside the tavern, he could not help laughing.
Two legs were really of no match to six legs.
Every Man hopes to escape their shadow. This was certainly another of Man’s many weaknesses.
But as he was untying horse reins, he could no longer laugh.
The moment he raised his head, he saw Fu Hongxue again.
Fu Hongxue was standing across the street, and was staring at him coldly. His face was deadly pale, his eyes silently cold, his sword pitch black.
Yan Nanfei smiled.
He gave the horse a small pat and the horse trotted away. He, however was still where he was, smiling and looking at Fu Hongxue.
The horse that was worth thousands of gold, turned into swirl of dust with a mere pat of his hands.
A thousand taels. Ten thousand taels. Tens and Tens of thousand taels. What are they in his eyes? To him, they are nothing but dust.
The dust settled, and he walked across the street towards Fu Hongxue. He smiled, and said, “You still managed to catch up after all.”
Fu Hongxue gave a “humph” in reply.
Yan Nanfei gave a deep sigh and said, “It’s just as well I am not a female. If not, after being chased and watched like this by you, I’d have had no choice but to marry you.”
Fu Hongxue’s pale face suddenly blushed red. The blush was so deep red, it was alarming. All the pores on his face contorted as though he was in deep pain.
What excruciating memory lay in his heart? Why would a simple, ordinary joke like this one cause him so much pain?
Yan Nanfei closed his mouth.
He never liked hurting other people. Everytime he hurt a person by mistake, he would feel very bad too.
They stood there face to face, under the roof of a bakery.
There was a skinny and withered old lady with two children, a girl and a boy. They were buying some cakes in the bakery. They were barely out of the bakery and the children were already bickering to eat. Though the granny was telling them that it was not good to be eating on the streets, she took out two pieces for them to share.
The children however, quarrelled even louder after they received their share of the cakes.
The little boy jumping up and down, “Why is Xiaoping’s piece so much bigger than mine? I want her cake.”
The little girl naturally refused so the little boy tried to scratch it from her. The little girl had no choice but to run away from him. The old granny couldn’t them and could only shake her head and sighed with resignation.
The girl was not as fast and the boy was going to catch her. She ran behind Yan Nanfei and hid, pulled at Yan Nanfei’s sleeve, and said, “Good uncle, please save me. He’s a little robber.”
The boy quipped, “ This uncle won’t help you. We are all men, and men stick together.”
Yan Nanfei laughed at the antics of the children.
These two children may be mischievious, but they were very intelligent and very cute. Yan Nanfei also had his childhood once, but those golden times were gone, never to return. He too,had a girl playmate once, and he wondered if she was already married.
He saw something in the two children that reminded him of his childhood.
His heart was suddenly filled with warmth and nostalgia. He grabbed both the hands of the two children and said gently, “Let’s quarrel no more. Uncle will buy ten cakes for each of you.”
The faces of the two children lighted up, their smiles were angelic. They both start running into his embrace.
Yan Nanfei opened his arms, preparing to carry a child in each arm.
At this instant, there was a flash of sabre light.
Fu Hongxue was a person who never drawn his sabre out lightly, and yet he suddenly draw his sabre!
The sabre light flashed pass, and the cakes that were in the children’s hands fell onto the ground. They had been slashed into halfs.
Both children were so frightened that they started crying and ran back to their grandmother.
Yan Nanfei was also stunned. He stared at Fu Hongxue in bewilderment.
Fu Hongxue’s sabre was already back in its sheath. His face was expressionless.
Yan Nanfei suddenly laughed coldly. “Now I know. Other than killing, your sabre has one more function.”
Fun Hongxue said, “Oh?”
Yan Nanfei said, “You also use your sabre to frighten children.”
Fu Hongxue replied coldly, “I only scare one type of children.”
Yan Nanfei asked, “Which type?”
Fu Hongxue answered, “The type that kills.”
Yan Nanfei was stunned once more, and turned his back slowly. The old lady was backing away with the two children. The children were no longer crying; their eyes were wide open, and they were glaring at Yan Nanfei.
It was as though their glare was filled with murderous intentions and hatred.
Yan Nanfei lowered his head. His heart beginning to sink. His eyes fell on the cakes on the ground. There were reflective bits inside the cakes.
He picked up one of the halves, and found a mechanised hollow tube filled with [Five-Poison Needles].
He suddenly leaped up like a bird, and landed in front of the old lady. “You are the Ghostly Granny?”
The old lady laughed. The wrinkled and shrivelled face, suddenly became evil and cruel. “You’ve heard of me. Now, that is unexpected.”
Yan Nanfei gazed at her for a long time, and said calmly, “You do know that I have a habit.”
Ghostly Granny said, “What habit is it?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “I never kill women.”
Ghostly Granny laughed. “It’s a good habit to have.”
Yan Nanfei said, “You may be old, but you are still women.”
Ghostly Granny let out a breath, and said, “It’s too bad for you that you’ve never seen me when I was still young, or else….
Yan Nanfei interrupted coldly, “… I would have still killed you.”
Ghostly Granny said, “I seem to recall you just mentioning that you never killed women.”
Yan Nanfei said, “You are an exception.”
Ghostly Granny asked, “Why am I an exception?”
Yan Nanfei said, “Children are pure and innocent. You should not have used them. You’ve wrecked their lives…”
Ghostly Granny smiled again. Her smile was chilling, “Granny loves the children, and the children love to help their Granny with her work. What business is it of yours?”
Yan Nanfei shut his mouth.
He was no longer bear to discuss this matter. His hand was already griping his sword sword.
A bright red sword, red as fresh blood!
Ghostly Granny cackled in laughter. “Other people are afraid of your Wild Rose Sword, but I…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but threw a bag of sugared pastries heavily on the ground.
There was a suddenly clap of thunderous explosion. There was dust flying high, acrid smoke everywhere and sparks flying about.
Yan Nanfei leaped into the air and somersaulted two feet back.
By the time the smoke dispersed and the dust settled, Ghostly Granny and the two children had vanished. There was however, a large hole left in the ground.
A crowd gathered around to watch, but soon scattered.
Yan Nanfei was still standing there, shell-shocked. After a good while, he turned and faced Fu Hongxue.
Fu Hongxue was as cold as snow.
Yan Nanfei let out a long sigh, and said, “You are right once again.”
Fu Hongxue said, “I’m rarely wrong.”
Yan Nanfei said, “The children are innocent. They must have been kidnapped by Ghostly Granny when they were tiny.”
In the dark of the night, and babies in cloth bundles…
A shrivelled old lady knocking on the door in the middle of the night…
Grieving parents, pitiful children…
Yan Nanfei said sorrowfully, “She must had used all kinds of methods to have taught the children nothing but evil and hatred from a young and tender age.”
Fu Hongxue said, “That’s why you should not have let escape.”
Yan Nanfei said, “I did not suspect that fire seeds from Jiangnan’s Thunderclap Hall could be hidden in that the bag of sugared pastries.”
Fu Hongxue said, “You should have thought of that possibility. If the cakes could contain the [Five-posion Needles], they could also contain the [Thunderclap Seed].”
Yan Nanfei asked, “You expected something like this would occur?”
Fu Hongxue did not deny it.
Yan Nanfei asked, “Since you are of the opinion that that I should not have let her go, why didn’t you strike her down?”
Fu Hongxue answered coldly, “That is because her target was you, not me. Besides, I never expect you to be so dumb.”
Yan Nanfei looked intently at him, and laughed bitterly. “Perhaps it is not that I’m too dumb, but it is that you are too sharp.”
Fu Hongxue, “Oh?”
Yan Nanfei said, “Right to this very moment, I still find it hard to understand how you detect the toxic mist amidst the smoke and the poisonous snakes in the saddle?”
Fu Hongxue was silent for a long time. He calmly said, “There are many ways to kill a person. Assassination is but one of them, and yet this way of killing is the most fearsome of them all.
Yan Nanfei answered, “I know that.”
Fu Hongxue continued, “Then do you know how many assassination methods are there?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “I don’t know.”
Fu Hongxue asked again, “Do you know how many people in the last three centuries have died undeserved deaths because of successful assassinations?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “I don’t know.”
Fu Hongxue said, “At least 538 people.”
Yan Nanfei asked, “You counted?”
Fu Hongxue replied, “I counted. It took me seven years of time and effort to get this exact number.”
Yan Nanfei could not stop himself from asking the obvious question, “Why did you waste so much time to find the exact answer to this trivial question?”
Fu Hongxue replied, “If I had not taken the trouble to do so, I would have already died at least ten times , and you three times.”
Yan Nanfei let out a small breath. He was going to say something, but stopped himself.
Fu Hongxue continued “These 538 people that I mentioned, they were all highly skilled members of the pugilistic fraternity. They were all killed by people who were normally not their match in martial arts.”
Yan Nanfei said, “They only succeed because the assassination methods were so lowly and ingenious.”
Fu Hongxue nodded. “There may have been 538 deaths, but there were only 483 assassins.”
Yan Nanfei said, “Some were victims of the same assassin.”
Fu Hongxue nodded again. “Also, different assassins might shared the similar methods.”
Yan Nanfei said, “I would have imagine so.”
Fu Hongxue said, “In all, the assassins had used 227 different methods.”
Yan Nanfei said, “It goes without saying that these 227 methods must be the most malicious and ingenious.”
Fu Hongxue replied, “Obviously so.”
Yan Nanfei asked, “Of these, how many of them do you know?”
Fu Hongxue answered, “227.”
Yan Nanfei let out another breath, and said, “Originally, I know none of these methods.”
Fu Hongxue said, “At the very least, you now know three of them.”
Yan Nanfei answered, “More than three methods!”
Fu Hongxue, “More than three methods?”
Yan Nanfei smiled, “Do you know the number of assassination attempts I had survived in the last six months?”
Fu Hongxue shook his head.
Yan Nanfei said, “39 attempts, not counting the three that you witnessed.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “Their methods were all different?”
Yan Nanfei replied, “Not only were they totally different, they all came unexpected. But I’m still alive today.”
It was now Fu Hongxue’s turn to be speechless.
Yan Nanfei laughed and walked into a small road that was intersecting the major street that they were on. There was a high mansion. There were floral scents emitting from the upper floors.
What floral scent was it?
Could it be that of wild roses?
FOUR
There was a high mansion.
There were windows in the mansion.
There was moon outside the window.
There were flowers beneath the moon.
Flowers were wild roses.
The moon was bright moon.
There was no lamp. The moonlight came in from the window, and shone at the wild roses that were beside Yan Nanfei.
He had more than wild roses by his side, he also have a person pricked by wild roses.
Tonight, of all nights..
The moon is like fluid, two people leaning on each other.
There were countless burdens to be shared.
There were neverending words of love to be said.
The night was deep, and Man was getting intoxicated.
Yan Nanfei was however very much alert, his eyes were still clear as the bright moon. But the expresssion on his face was, as if pricked by the thorns of wild roses
Wild roses had thorns, but what about the bright moon?
The bright moon did have a heart, that was why the moon would lend its rays to illuminate manknd. The name of this lady was *Mingyue Xin.
*(Mingyue Xin literally translates as “Heart of the Bright Moon”. She is a recurring character, and the moon is often used as a pun/metaphor for her. Keep this in mind henceforth when the “bright moon” or “the heart of the bright moon” comes up. The author may be just be literally describing about the bright moon hanging in the sky. Then again, the author may actually be referring to Mingyue Xin.)
The deeper the night,
The clearer the moon,
The more beautiful she is,
However, the expression on his face was even more hurt.
She gazed intently at him for a long time. Finally she had to break the silence. She whispered, “What is in your mind?”
Yan Nanfei remained quiet for a long time, before he answered softly, “I’m thinking of people. Two people in particular.”
Mingyue Xin’s voice was even gentler now, “Am I one of the two?
Yan Nanfei answered, “No.”
His voice became ice-cold, “You are not either of the two people I’m thinking of.”
The beauty was pricked once again, but she did not withdraw. She asked, “Who are they then?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “One of them is Fu Hongxue.”
Mingyue Xin asked, “Fu Hongxue? The person who was waiting for you at Phoenix Settlement?”
Yan Nanfei nodded.
Mingyue Xin asked, “He is your enemy, isn’t he?”
Yan Nanfei answered, “No.”
Mingyue Xin asked, “Is he your friend then?”
Yan Nanfei said, “No, he’s not my friend either.”
He suddenly laughed, and said, “You’d never guess in a million years why he was waiting for me at Phoenix Settlement.”
Mingyue Xin asked, “Why was he waiting for you?
Yan Nanfei said, “He was waiting to kill me.”
Mingyue Xin let out a small breath, and said, “But he didn’t kill you.”
Yan Nanfei was still smiling, but his expression was mocking, “Not only did he not kill me, he even saved me three times.”
Mingyue Xin sighed once more, and said, “We women will never understand these kind of men.”
Yan Nanfei said, “Woman don’t understand man in the first place.”
Mingyue Xin turned her head towards the window and stared at the moon hanging outside the window. She asked, “Who else were you thinking of?”
Yan Nanfei’s expression turned from gibe back to pain, and said slowly, “A man I want to kill, but I know I would never be able to kill him.”
Seeing his pain, her eyes dimmed; even the moon outside also dimmed.
A dark cloud floated quietly across the sky, and covered the moon.
She got up silently, and whispered, “I’m leaving now, you should be sleeping soon.”
Yan Nanfei did not raise his head. “You are leaving?”
Mingyue Xin said, “I know that I should be with you when you are feeling down, but…”
“But you had to leave anyway, even though this room is amongst the *wind and dust, you had never allowed guests to stay overnight. You are giving me face by letting me remain here,” Yan Nanfei interrupted.
*(“Wind and Dust” is a euphemistic term referring to prostitution. Yan Nanfei’s present location can be left to the reader’s imagination.)
Mingyue Xin looked at him, and her eyes also began to show the pain. She suddenly turned around, and said, “Perhaps I never should have asked you to stay. Perhaps you never should have come.” Her voice was calm, yet not without a hint of resentment.
Man in an empty room. The empty room thicked with loneliness. Outside the window, raindrops was like the chord of a qin. It was slowly nearing, louder and denser.
The rain was heavy and came very fast. The wild roses on the balcony were ravaged by the torrent of raindrops.
Across the street, at the corner, there stood a man who could not be ravaged. Nothing could devastate him; not his person, not his determination.
When Yan Nanfei pushed open the windows, he saw this man.
“He’s still here,” Yan Nanfei mumbled to himself. The storm was worsening, but this man stood there, motionless. Even if the raindrops were like hundreds and thousands of little daggers raining down on him, he would not retreat. Other than smiling bitterly to himself, Yan Nanfei had no other appropriate response to this sight. “Fu Hongxue, Fu Hongxue, what kind of a human are you?”
There was a slight breeze, and the raindrops hit his face. They were cold, and their chill wormed their way into his heart.
However, there was a sudden rush of hot blood in his heart. Pounding hard with emotion, it rushed through the icy raindrops, over the high wall and falling in front of Fu Hongxue.
Fu Hongxue seemed far away. It was as though he wasn’t experiencing this downpour, and didn’t see Yan Nanfei.
Yan Nanfei was only under the rain for a short while, but his clothes were quickly drenched through. But if Fu Hongxue remained silent, so would he as well.
Fu Hongxue’s gaze fell on him at last. He said coldly, “It’s raining heavily outside.”
Yan Nanfei said, “I know.”
Fu Hongxue continued, “You should not have come out.”
Yan Nanfei laughed, and asked, “If you can be standing under the pouring rain, why cannot I do the same?”
Fu Hongxue only said three words, “You certainly can.”
With that, he turned his gaze away. It was obvious that he was terminating the conversation.
But Yan Nanfei refused to let the dialogue end. He continued speaking, “Of course I can stand under the rain. Anybody has the right to stand under the rain if he so chooses.”
Fu Hongxue was silent. He was again as though he was physically somewhere far far away.
Yan Nanfei yelled, “But I didn’t come out here specially to get drenched.”
His voice was just too loud. It was even louder than the hundreds of thousands of raindrops that were hitting the tiled rooftop.
Fu Hongxue was undoubtedly not deaf. He finally asked nonchalantly, “Then what are you doing outside?”
Yan Nanfei said, “I want to tell you something. A secret.”
Fu Hongxue’s eyes brightened. “You are now prepared to tell me?”
Yan Nanfei nodded. Fu Hongxue asked, “But you were originally intending to take that secret to your grave?”
Yan Nanfei nodded in admission, and said, “I had made up my mind not to tell anybody, ever.”
Fu Hongxue asked, “Then why are you telling me now?” Yan Nanfei stared at him, at the raindrops on his face, at his pale face, and answered, “I’m going to tell you now, because I’ve suddenly realised one thing.”
Fu Hongxue said, “And what is that?”
Yan Nanfei laughed. He said, unconcerned, “You are not human. Not human at all
~End of Chapter 03~
Written by Gu Long
Translation by MetWin1
Edited and proofread by audiowuxia.
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